Retrospective analysis of pulsed radiofrequency energy therapy use in the treatment of chronic pressure ulcers.

MedLine Citation:

PMID:
22610109
Owner:
NLM
Status:
In-Data-Review

Abstract/OtherAbstract:

OBJECTIVE: : The purpose of the study was to evaluate the benefit of using pulsed radiofrequency energy (PRFE) therapy in the treatment of chronic pressure ulcers.DESIGN: : A retrospective analysis was performed using case series data from the Provant Wound Registry, which consists of demographic characteristics and wound healing outcomes for patients treated with the Provant Therapy System.SETTING: : The analysis subset consisted of data from 39 distinct centers, including both residential and ambulatory care facilities.PARTICIPANTS: : The analysis included data from 89 patients. The majority of patients (89%) were cared for in residential facilities, whereas 11% of patients were cared for in ambulatory care facilities.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: : Specific outcomes that assessed wound healing between the initial time point and at the 4-week follow-up were as follows: percent wound surface area reduction (PWAR), proportion of wounds achieving 50% reduction or greater in wound surface area (50% PWAR), and the rate of wound healing (wound healing trajectory in centimeters squared per day).MAIN RESULTS: : Overall, there was a 51% median reduction in wound surface area (PWAR) after 4 weeks of PRFE therapy for wounds in the study, with 51% of wounds (56/110) achieving 50% reduction or greater in wound surface area (50% PWAR). Rate of healing measurements for the overall study group showed a median wound healing trajectory of 0.13 cm/d at 4 weeks.CONCLUSION: : Compared with historical controls and other studies using similar surrogate wound healing markers, these results suggest PRFE therapy is a beneficial adjuvant treatment option for healing chronic pressure ulcers.